At
the Passover season the high priest and the Sanhedrin, with Scribes and
Pharisees, planned to take Jesus. They bribed one of His followers, Judas, the
only unsaved one of the twelve, to lead them to Jesus in the night. He was tried
in an illegal season of the Sanhedrin at night, and then condemned in Pilate's
judgment hall, but only by political pressure on the governor. Then with
suborned witnesses, and with an incited mob, the people were moved to deny their
King, to choose for release Barabbas instead of Jesus. And Jesus, despised and
officially rejected by His nation, was scourged with a Roman scourge, was
mocked, blindfolded and crowned with thorns, then made to bear His cross out to
Golgotha. And there, amid the jeers of the multitudes, Jesus hung six hours and
died. Was there ever a city so steeped in religion of a formal kind, a
Christ-rejecting kind? They knew more about Passover lambs and atoning blood in
Jerusalem than any city in the world now knows. They knew more about tithes and
offerings and public prayers and forms and ceremonies of religion, than any
group in the world did. They were insanely proud of their circumcision, of their
descent from Abraham, of their prophets and their Mosaic law. They had hated
John the Baptist, and John had gotten his head cut off. They hated the Lord
Jesus Himself and killed Him, murdered the Son of God! - John R. Rice
We
ought to give glory to our Savior as well as to the Father who has committed all
judgment to Him. God has given Him power to destroy as well as to save. The
destruction of Jerusalem was one of the great days of the Son of man, in which
His glory appeared in the destruction of His enemies as well as in the salvation
of His followers. Then was fulfilled, in part, what our Lord foretold in the
presence of the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:64). The God of Zion lives, the King of
Zion reigns over the nations: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King,
and give praise to His name for His great and terrible acts even though they
perceive not His intention. He did all things well when He was on earth. He does
all things well in Heaven. - A. W. Pink
At
the Passover season the high priest and the Sanhedrin, with Scribes and
Pharisees, planned to take Jesus. They bribed one of His followers, Judas, the
only unsaved one of the twelve, to lead them to Jesus in the night. He was tried
in an illegal season of the Sanhedrin at night, and then condemned in Pilate's
judgment hall, but only by political pressure on the governor. Then with
suborned witnesses, and with an incited mob, the people were moved to deny their
King, to choose for release Barabbas instead of Jesus. And Jesus, despised and
officially rejected by His nation, was scourged with a Roman scourge, was
mocked, blindfolded and crowned with thorns, then made to bear His cross out to
Golgotha. And there, amid the jeers of the multitudes, Jesus hung six hours and
died. Was there ever a city so steeped in religion of a formal kind, a
Christ-rejecting kind? They knew more about Passover lambs and atoning blood in
Jerusalem than any city in the world now knows. They knew more about tithes and
offerings and public prayers and forms and ceremonies of religion, than any
group in the world did. They were insanely proud of their circumcision, of their
descent from Abraham, of their prophets and their Mosaic law. They had hated
John the Baptist, and John had gotten his head cut off. They hated the Lord
Jesus Himself and killed Him, murdered the Son of God! - John R. Rice
We
ought to give glory to our Savior as well as to the Father who has committed all
judgment to Him. God has given Him power to destroy as well as to save. The
destruction of Jerusalem was one of the great days of the Son of man, in which
His glory appeared in the destruction of His enemies as well as in the salvation
of His followers. Then was fulfilled, in part, what our Lord foretold in the
presence of the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:64). The God of Zion lives, the King of
Zion reigns over the nations: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King,
and give praise to His name for His great and terrible acts even though they
perceive not His intention. He did all things well when He was on earth. He does
all things well in Heaven. - A. W. Pink